Celebrities 22 Interesting Facts You May Not Know About Clint Eastwood

List Rules Vote up the most interesting Clint Eastwood facts you were surprised to learn.

Who is Clint Eastwood? You probably know that he is a prolific actor and director, who's been a household name in the business for decades. After all, he has about 70 acting credits to his name and has helmed nearly 40 movies. He also has four Academy Awards. The ruggedly handsome Eastwood has played a cowboy (several times), an anti-hero detective, a boxing trainer, and even a bare knuckle fighter. His famous growl and eye squint have become his trademark. But, there is much more to learn about Clint Eastwood's biography. Here are the Clint Eastwood facts that you may not know.

By weeding through Clint Eastwood interviews, bios, anecdotes, and quotes, it’s pretty clear that the former mayor is one of the most interesting guys in Hollywood. He may appear stoic, and even often laconic on the big screen, but his passion for life is obvious in his rich history.

He’s more than just an actor or director. He’s unapologetically political, he owns golf courses, and he could have had a very successful career in music. This list is more than Clint Eastwood trivia or what appears on his wiki page, it will help to give insight to a legend whose most popular character is ironically called "The Man With No Name."

Vote up your Clint Eastwood stories on the list below!

Photo: PEA

1 103 VOTES

Sergio Leone Initially Did Not Want Him to Play Blondie

Clint Eastwood has played several iconic characters over his six decades in show business. However, his most storied character is perhaps Blondie, AKA The Man with No Name, from Sergio Leone's Dollars trilogy. The part was originally offered to Eric Fleming, who turned down the opportunity because the role did not pay enough. Then Charles Bronson, Henry Fonda, and Richard Harrison all passed on the spaghetti western. When the idea of Eastwood was pitched to Leone, he declined because he thought of Clint as a background guy. Eventually, Leone agreed to cast Eastwood and the trilogy launched both of their film careers.

He Is Known as a One-Take Director

The prolific director has helmed over 30 films. He has a reputation around Hollywood for finishing his films within budget and on deadline. Of course, there are many times when he needs to do multiple takes of a shot, but if he does a take and he likes it, Eastwood doesn't feel the need to re-shoot a scene multiple times. His style behind the camera is so free and easy that sometimes actors do not even realize that they're filming. Armie Hammer, who appeared in Eastwood's film J. Edgar, said, "There would be takes that we did where I was under the impression we were shooting a rehearsal."

He Became a Mayor in Order to Overturn a City Ban on Ice Cream Parlors

Okay, maybe that's not the only reason Clint Eastwood ran for mayor of the California coastal city Carmel-by-the-Sea. His campaign slogan was "Bringing the Community Together." Before he ran for office, there was an ancient law in the local books that banned selling and eating ice cream on public streets. Once Eastwood was elected, he repealed the law and set out to pass several pro-business items of legislation that helped both the business sector and the community. He served in office for two years, from 1986 to 1988.

He Still Works Out Every Day

The still-chiselled actor may be more than 80 years old, but that doesn't mean he doesn't take his fitness seriously. Clint treats his body like a temple. He once discussed his work-out regime, saying, "In the morning, I usually get up and do the elliptical. I try to do thirty minutes on that. And then, in the evening, I'll pump some iron. And I stretch."